Means for assembling latches for vehicle doors



April 7, 1931. w. c. DEVEREAUX MEANS FOR ASSEMBLING LATCHES FOR VEHICLE DOORS Filed Nov. 2 Sheets- Sheet l 7 22021 fiferereavy y Y hmwz ATTORNEYS April 7, 1931'. w. c. DEVEREAUX MEANS FOR ASSEMBLING LATCHES FOR VEHICLE DOORS Filed Nov. 12, 1927 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 7W2; 2h?? C.I6 Varea Vy BY sunarrv EN? 6 ATTORNEYS Elia:

Patented Apr. 7, 1931 PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM C. DEVEREAUX, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN MEANS FOR ASSEMBLING LATCI-IES FOR VEHICLE DOORS Application filed November 12, 1927. Serial No. 232,843.

This invention relates to latches for vehicle doors and the like and particularly to means for facilitating the assembly upon a doorlatch (or the dis-assembly therefrom) of an actuating element for the bolt of said latch.

My co-pending application, Serial No. 188,720, filed May 4, 1927, discloses a boltactuating handle-shaft having a olygonal end portion adapted to operatively t a polygonal opening formed in a cam member or the like transmitting control from said handleshaft to a latch bolt, and a metal plate formed with a similar polygonal opening is fixedly mounted in such relation to said cam member that the handle shaft must be fitted through the opening member and can be withdrawn from the cam member only when the opening of the latter is definitely registered with that of said metal plate.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a method and means for temporarily holding a rotative cam member, or a like rotative bolt-actuating element, in a position to definitely register a polygonal opening in said member with a similar opening in an adjacent fixed metal plate so as to permit an insertion (or withdrawal) through said plate and into (or from) said cam member of a handle shaft having an end portion of the same polygonal form as said openings.

These and various other objects the invention attains by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein f Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of one type of vehicle door latch to which the present invention is applicable.

Figure 2 is a similar view of said latch held retracted by the invention.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure his a horizontal cross sectional view taken upon the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an end view of said latch and Figure 6 is a similar view showing an alternative provision for temporarily maintaining the latch bolt retracted.

. In these views the reference characters 1 and 2 designate respectively the outer and showing the bolt inner panels of a vehicle door. Within said door is arranged a latch, comprising mounting formed by parallel plates 3 and 4, the former being relatively large and disposed adjacent to the inner panel 2. The relatively small mounting plate 4 of said latch lies adjacent to the outer panel 1 and has secured thereto and spaced therefrom a plate 5 forming With said plate 4 a casing receiving a 1'0- tative hub member 6 for a cam member 7. Said cam member is connected to the hub 6 by a U-shaped yoke element 8 which projects toward the free edge of the door and which has its outer portion journaled upon the plate 3 as indicated at 9. Said yoke is for the purpose of adapting the cam member 7 to be mounted adjacent to the inner panel of the door and to be operated from the hub member 6 which is adjacent to the outer door panel. Said cam member, as is best seen in Figures 1 and 2, has the nature of an arm downwardly projecting from the hub 6 and terminally bearing upon the forward edge of a sliding plate 10 which is shouldered, as in-. dicated at 11, to retract a bolt 12 when said hub and cam member'are rocked from the position shown in Figure 1 toward that illustrated in Figure 2. The bolt 12 and its actuating plate 10 are mounted upon the larger mounting plate 3 of the lock and are guided in their sliding travel in any suitable manner as for example by the plate 13 carried by and inwardly spaced from the plate 3. A suitable coiled spring 14 urges the bolt 12 normally to its projected position, as appears in Figure 1, and acts through the slide plate 10 upon rotary unit 6, 7 8 tending to maintain the position thereof also shown in Figure 1.

The cam member 7 is formed at its axis with an opening 15 of a square or other polygonal shape and a handle shaft 16 has a similar polygonal end portion 17 adapted to operatively fit the opening 15.

Exteriorly carried by the mounting plate 4 of the latch (or otherwise fixedly-mounted adjacent to the outer panel 1) is a plate 18 in which is formed a square or other polygonal opening 19 corresponding in size to said opening 15, but having its walls in an angular relation to those of the opening 15, when the bolt 12 is in latching position and'the unit 6, 7, 8 is in corresponding position, as best appears in Figure 1. When, however, said unit is in a definite position, intermediate its respective limiting positions, the openings15 and 19 are accurately registered as appears in Figure 2. v V

It is a purpose of the present invention primarily to provide a means for temporarily maintaining the unit 6, 7, 8 in the position illustrated in Figure 2 by mechanical means so as to permit the handle member 16, 17 to' be readily engaged with or dis-enga ed from the hub 6. I or this purpose the yo e member 8 is formed adjacent to the plate 4 with an upstanding lug 20 and a pair'of openings 21 are formed in the plates 4 and 13 to receive a pin 22 which, when entered in said openings, is engageable by the lug- 20 to maintain the intermediate position of the unit 6, 7, 8 shown in Figure 2. When thehandle shaft 16 has been properly assembled with'the latch, the pin 22 may be readily withdrawn. Preferably the openings 21 which are adapted to receive the pin 22 further function to receive a screw (not shown) for holding an escutcheon plate 23 upon the outer panel member 1.

In place of forming the lug 20 upon the yoke 8 for engagement by the pin 22 it is feasible to insert such a pin, as indicated at 24 in- Figure 6, in an opening 25 formed in an end face of the door 1 whereby said pin is adapted to maintain the desired position of the unit 6, 7, 8 through engagement by the yoke element 8. v

The described means for assembling a bandle shaft 16, 17 upon a door latch permits such assembly to be accomplished with a minimum loss of time and said means may furthermore be used to advantage whenever it is desired for any reason to detach said handle member from the latch.

While it will be ap arent that the illustrated embodiments of my invention herein disclosed are well calculated to adequately fulfil the objects and advantages primarily stated, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a rotary member formed with a polygonal opening, of a bolt adapted for retraction by said rotary meming in said plate, said rotary member being formed with a projection substantially transverse to the axis of rotation of said member, and a mounting for the specified parts, havmg spaced walls provided with aligned open-' mgs positioned so that said projection has to be moved'just beyond the aligned openings when the said polygonal openingsare brought in register, whereby a stop pin may be inserted in the aligned openings for mechanically holding said rotary member in a position registering its opening with that of said plate. I

2. 'The combination with a rotary member formed with a polygonal opening and a lug extending radially of such opening, of a bolt adapted for retraction by said rotarymemher, a handle shaft having a polygonal portion proportioned to fit in said polygonal opening to adapt said rotary member for actuation by said handle shaft, a plate fixedlymounted adjacent to said rotary member and formed with a polygonal opening substan tially duplicating that of said rotary member, means normally maintaining a position of said rotary member whereby the walls of its polygonal opening are out of alignment with the walls of the polygonal opening in said plate, and a mounting for the said parts having a pair of spaced walls on opposite sides of said lug and provided with aligned openings arranged to be passed by said lug in its movements to and from its normal and retracted positions, whereby a stop pin may be inserted in said openings to be engaged by said lug to hold the rotary member in a IAM C. DEVEREAUX.

her, a handle shaft having a polygonal por- I tion proportioned to fit. in said polygonal opening to adapt said rotary member for actuation by said handle shaft, a plate fixedly mounted adjacent to said rotary member and formed with a polygonal opening substantially duplicating that of said rotary member means normally maintaining aposition of said rotary member, acutely inclining the walls of the polygonal opening of said member to the walls of the polygonal openposition registering its opening with that of 

